1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mandible positioning devices for use as pharyngeal airway adjusters.
2. Description of the Related Art
In patients who are suffering from the sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea, the flesh and muscles of the tongue and throat relax, as the patients attempt to sleep, so that the pharyngeal airway is blocked and, consequently, the patients briefly stop breathing. When this occurs, the patients are awakened by the consequent lack of oxygen and blood, which often occurs with a loud snort or a bodily jerk.
For the proper diagnosis and treatment of patients subject to sleep apnea, polysomnographic testing of the patients is performed in sleep centers or in the patients' homes, while the patients are asleep, to record various factors, including the oxygen level in the patients' blood, the heart action, chest and abdominal movements and brain activity of the patients.
It has previously been proposed to provide a dental device for adjustably displacing the mandible of a patient in horizontally and vertically, relative to the maxillary dentition of the patient, in order to thereby increase the pharyngeal airway size of the patient so as to counteract such blockage as caused in the above-described manner.
It has been found that the displacement of the mandible in a forward, i.e. horizontal, direction relative to the maxillary dentition and, also, in a downward, i.e. vertical, direction away from the maxillary dentition should be adjusted, while the patient is being tested, in order to determine the optimum positioning of the mandible.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,017, issued Apr. 25, 1995, to Lowe, there is disclosed a mandible positioning device having upper and lower bite blocks, which fit onto and engage the maxillary and mandibular dentition of a patient, with an adjustable connection between the upper and lower bite blocks. This connection allows the position of the lower bite block to be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly, i.e. horizontally, relative to the upper bite block, in order to thereby adjust the relative positions of the upper and lower bite blocks and to adjust correspondingly the position of the patient's mandible.
It is, however, a disadvantage of this prior device that the connection is located between the upper and lower bite blocks and, therefore, is not accessible while the device is installed in the mouth of a patient. In order to adjust the device, it is necessary to withdraw the device from the patient's mouth.
A further disadvantage of this prior device is that it does not allow the spacing between the upper and lower bite blocks to be adjusted.